Coatepec, Veracruz

In early May 2015, I took a trip to Veracruz state in Mexico. There were a lot of things I wanted to see in Veracruz, including the town of Coatepec and the impressive Parroquia de San Jéronimo church located there. Coatepec is one of Mexico’s Pueblos Magicos, cities or towns that are being promoted by Mexico’s Secretariat of Tourism for having special historic or cultural significance.

I was based in Xalapa for a few days, about 10 kilometers from Coatepec. To get to Coatepec, I took a bus from Xalapa’s Mercado Los Sauces. It cost $10 MXN, and arrived in about fifteen minutes. The bus drops you in the center of Coatepec.

I first decided to walk to a hill, the Cerro de las Culebras (“hill of the snakes”) which had a park at the top. From the top, I could get a really nice view of Coatepec. It was an overcast day, which is typical for this area. From the top of the hill, I got a nice photo of the city:

Coatepec from Cerro de las Culebras

Thankfully, I didn’t see any snakes. Walking toward the city center, I did pass this dog who was kind enough to let me take a photo.

Dog in Coatepec

The highlight of the Centro of Coatepec is the Parque Hidalgo, and the church that faces it, the Parroquia de San Jéronimo. I had seen pictures of the church before, yet was still taken aback by the beautiful design and colors. The sky cleared briefly and the sun came out exposing a little blue sky:

Parroquia de San Jéronimo, Coatepec

There was a wedding going while I was there, so I wasn’t able to visit the interior of the church. It did make for some nice photos of well-dressed people walking up to the church, however.

I spent the rest of my time in Coatepec wandering around the downtown, taking a few photos and just enjoying the town. I found Coatepec to be worth the “Pueblo Magico” status, and would certainly visit again if I were ever in the area. Here are a few more photos: